Letters: Best, brightest may avoid teaching profession

A recent opinion letter appeared entitled, "Don't blame the state for school problems." But I do.

Foreclosing collective bargaining and destroying unions is one of the reasons I blame the state.

"We are not drawing from the top group of college graduates - while some countries are," said Susan Fuhrman, president of the Teachers College, Columbia University. Forty to 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession during their first five years of teaching. Job satisfaction has dropped from 59 to 44 percent since 2009. Now why is that?

In 20 years of negotiating with teachers, in two different school districts, I never felt intimidated or bullied as the letter implied. At times, I felt the union was meddlesome, but I'm sure they felt I was inflexible. Perhaps there was balance in negotiations.

Let me explain one reason good people are leaving the profession. David Coy Johnson, a specialist in economics and taxes, also a Pulitzer Prize-winner, claims news reports and Gov. Scott Walker are "simply reporting economic nonsense." Walker wanted teacher benefits (health insurance and pensions) "more in line with private-sector worker contributions."

Since about 1993, teachers have been held to an annual total salary and benefits package of 3.8 percent. Teachers had a choice in how they would receive the package. They could divvy it up any way they wanted as long as the total did not exceed 3.8 percent.

Usually, they accepted deferred compensation paying for insurance and pensions. They received little in salary increases. Their health insurance and benefits outstripped private sector employees but at a cost of reduced salaries while not costing taxpayers any additional monies.

There are bright, enthusiastic people currently teaching and considering teaching who will now leave the profession early or never enter. Your children and my grandchildren will be the losers.